Public event in Wick to remember HMS Exmouth on 85th anniversary of its sinking
Marking the 85th anniversary of HMS Exmouth’s sinking during World War II, there will be a public event at Wick High School on Thursday evening at 7pm.
On January 21, 1940, the WWII destroyer was on escort duty in the Moray Firth when she was sunk by German U-boat, U-22. Just before dawn, a single torpedo struck the warship, and the ship went down within minutes with the loss of all 190-crew.
Eighteen sailors’ bodies washed ashore near the Wick coastline and are laid to rest in the local cemetery.
Last summer, a team of divers conducted a series of survey dives on the wreck, as part of a wider project to to raise awareness of the loss and ensure the heritage of the site is preserved. Since the survey, they have launched a website, hms-exmouth.co.uk and have been processing some of the imagery.
This week, two of the divers, Lt Cdr Jen Smith and Rich Walker, will return to Wick to deliver a series of presentations about the ship. The first presentation will be to a group of high school students, as part of their history lessons, with a second presentation for the local community.
Lt Cdr Jen Smith said: “It is such a privilege to be able to return to the town of Wick and share the story of HMS Exmouth. It would be wonderful to see members of the local community and share our experiences of the ship and her crew.
“This theatre of war was of great importance to the Allies, yet it is often forgotten. I hope that by telling the story of HMS Exmouth it will ensure the heritage is preserved for future generations and that the sacrifice made by her crew is always remembered.”
The public presentation will be held in Wick High School on Thursday, January 30, at 7pm, and everyone is welcome. The team will be sharing some of their early findings from the survey including some 3D imagery and video.
In addition to the ongoing work processing the survey data, the team has also been working hard on a fundraiser to honour the lost crew. It is collaborating with the RNLI’s Launch a Memory initiative, in an effort to add the names of all of HMS Exmouth’s crew to the Shannon-class lifeboat based in Exmouth, Devon.
The names of the crew will be added to the numbers and letters on the wheelhouse, so each time the lifeboat crew launches, HMS Exmouth’s crew will there above them.
Project leader Lt Cdr Jen Smith added: “This is a great initiative and it really strikes a chord with me.
“There’s just something very special about the thought of the names of those sailors once again ‘going to sea’, whilst at the same time helping to save lives at sea today. Out of a tragedy has come hope and it’s as if the sailors are still fulfilling their duty of helping others.”
The aim is to raise a total of £9500, which is £50 for each crew member, but donations of any amount are welcome.
So far the team have managed to raise just over £3800, and with the campaign due to close in April, it is pushing hard to reach its target in the next few months. If you wish to support the campaign you can donate at: www.justgiving.com/page/hms-exmouth
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